MORE VICTORIA NEWS FROM AUGUST
INTEREST IN CITY-OWNED PARCELS
*City owned properties in downtown Victoria have been publicly recognized as such by the recent placement of For Sale signs.  Numerous requests for information have been received at City Hall.
*Council accepted a donation of $150 to the Victoria Fire Department from the Deer Run Homeowners Association in gratitude for their participation in a neigh-borhood celebration.
*Council approved a quote of $635 from Clearwater Recreation for a volley-ball system to be installed at Lions Park in the sand area of the former playground.
*Council accepted a selection process [versus the current election process] for the Victoria Fire Chief as advised by the League of Minnesota Cities.
*D.R. Horton, developer at Krey Lakes, received a one-year extension for the completion date to install utilities due to the slowdown in the housing market.
*Council approved a 3-lot subdivi-sion near Kings Road called Fox Hollow Ridge.  Lennar, the development com-pany, withdrew objections to a public access easement on the property, which council said was necessary to keep the property from being landlocked in the future.
*Council approved a resolution that formally accepts Deer Run 15^th Addition and the preliminary and final plat of the right of way for the cul de sac.  The street is now formally a public street known as Deer Run Court.
*Council approved an expenditure of $4,389 to replace fencing around the tennis court at Deer Run Park.
*Mailynn Weber donated $50 to the Fire Department as did Alan and Lori Lohman.  Residential Mortgage Group donated $100.
*The Truth in Taxation Hearing will be held Monday, December 3^rd, with continuation to Thursday, December 13^th.
*The Fire Department is applying for a DNR matching grant to upgrade existing radios at a total cost of $5,225.
*Council approved three winter uses on the LRT trail:  walking, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing.
*Councilmembers reported that customers with Xcel Energy continue to lose power on occasion.  But Kim Roden, who lives in an area of Victoria with MN Valley Electric, stated, "I really like my power company.  I never even lost power with a tree on my roof."
*About the smattering of portable and postered signage becoming increasingly visible in Victoria, Richard Tieden said, "I find the Hangover Breakfast sign particu-larly offensive, frankly, ... but not that it doesn't work."
*Councilmember Tim Amundsen said about traffic, "Hwy 212 is not salvation for this area of transportation."
*Councilmembers and staff will con-tinue to review the tree replacement policy within city berms, boulevards, and right of ways.  Holly reported that 40 to 60 trees need to be replaced or receive special treatment.  Said Tim Amundsen, "A tree is an amenity to the neighborhood and it behooves a homeowner to maintain them."
*The city's appointed 79 REC units for the portion of Chevalle property that lies in Victoria, and has been identified as a conservation area, were transferred to developing areas of Victoria. 
*City Attorney Mike Norton is re-viewing an agreement for future improve-ment of Hwy 5 from two lanes to four lanes.  Victoria allocated $50,000 in 2007 toward a study for that development.
*Kim Roden thanked the Victoria Public Works Department for their hard work following the August 11^th storm.  "Bruce and his team did a good job."
*Council authorized final payment to Allied Blacktop for the 2007 street seal-coating project.  Total contract amount was $70,958.
*Council approved a "resting sched-ule" for Victoria's high usage soccer fields in order to preserve their quality.
*Council approved some downtown road closures for the Victoria Volksfest.
*Council approved a noise variance for the Victoria Chamber of Commerce for Volksfest.